Melvin Yong Yik Chye
Singapore
“But with greater autonomy must come stronger support and safeguards, especially for those who may be less equipped to navigate these decisions. At CASE, we strongly believe that consumer empowerment must go hand-in-hand with consumer protection.”
“Thank you, Sir. I have three questions on the balance between punishment and rehabilitation. One, how will schools be guided to balance disciplinary action with counselling and restorative practices? I think the Minister mentioned it. Whether MOE will track recidivism rates to assess if these rehabilitation efforts are effective?”
“Sir, I thank the Minister of State for his reply, and we are heartened. The Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) will be happy to work with MAS on consumer protection measures. For consumers, we often use GIRO when we want to so call, "set and forget", recurring payments.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary have we done a study on the profiles of those PMETs who have been retrenched and also, what are the types of jobs that the market is looking for?”
“Unlike support for persons with disabilities, there is currently no dedicated funding mechanism to incentivise employers to provide workplace accommodations for workers returning to work after serious non-work-related illnesses or medical conditions.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for her answers. I have two questions. First, whether IMDA currently mandates stress testing or simulation of failover systems under peak or adverse conditions and if not, whether such requirements will be introduced following IMDA's review.”
The complete record
Every one of 685 lines we hold for Melvin Yong Yik Chye, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 14.
“The Labour Movement, too, has conducted our own ground sensing and about two-thirds of those we spoke to said they experienced difficulties distinguishing work and non-work hours when working from home. This might be why Microsoft's Work Trend Index reported that 58% of workers in Singapore said they felt overworked, while 49% felt exhausted. But despite our high stress levels, there remain significant barriers to seeking assistance. A poll by SG Mental Health Matters found that almost 80% of the participants felt that costs would be a barrier to seeking quality mental healthcare. Zaobao also recently reported a local study that found that individuals who suffer from mental health issues are more than two times likely to lose their jobs. Madam, we must take concrete steps to break the stigma and make quality mental healthcare more accessible to all Singaporeans. I hope we can review and consider legislating some of the recommendations listed in the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces. If workplace burnout continues to be a key workplace mental health challenge, then we may very well need our very own Right to Disconnect legislation to safeguard our workers' mental resilience. The Labour Movement is taking the lead to make mental health support more accessible for our workers. NTUC is working closely with the Singapore Psychological Society and the Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors to put together an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) package for our unionised companies that is significantly cheaper than similar high quality EAP services found commercially. We want EAP services to be available in all companies.”
“I hope that the Government can review whether there is a causal link between the safe management measures imposed at high-risk worksites and the rise in workplace accidents and workplace fatalities. If so, can we adapt and review the cohorting and zoning rules if 100% of workers within the site are fully vaccinated? The Labour Movement reiterates our continued calls for all companies in Singapore to conduct refresher Workplace Safety and Health courses for their workers, especially for those who have been away from the worksite for an extended period. I also urge companies to put in place strict measures to prevent untrained, uncertified workers from operating machineries and performing other high-risk tasks. In fact, all companies should participate in the Safety Time Out called for by the Workplace Safety and Health Council so that they can review their safety practices at their worksites. Madam, beyond workplace safety, our migrant workers have also been grappling with social isolation. For the past 15 months, many of them have not been able to go out freely during their days off. This has had an impact on their mental well-being. I would like to urge MOM to monitor closely the mental health of our migrant workers. How does MOM intend to assist our migrant workers in overcoming the sense of social isolation that many in the dormitories are currently facing? Madam, another group of workers whose mental health we need to watch closely are our PMEs. Many have been working from home in the past 15 months and a growing number are facing mental health issues. According to a March 2021 survey commissioned by human resource software firm, Employment Hero, seven in 10 local employees felt stressed by COVID-19 in the past six months.”
“While these measures have worked well in curbing the spread of the virus among our migrant workforce, have they inadvertently caused the rise in workplace accidents? Some workers that I have spoken to tell me that they used to be able to spontaneously assist each other in high-risk tasks at the worksite, such as during heavy-lifting works. But they cannot do so now, which means there are fewer eyes and hands to do the same dangerous work. Or perhaps the issue is fatigue caused by an acute shortage of manpower in the high-risk sectors. According to MND, about 1,900 migrant workers decide to leave Singapore each month since the circuit breaker was imposed last year. Industry associations tell me that the reasons for their departure vary. Some because they were homesick; others because they were terribly worried about their family members back home. Companies have found it difficult to find replacement workers. So, more responsibilities are loaded onto their existing workforce. This, inevitably, leads to worker fatigue, which research has linked to a higher risk of workplace fatalities. I am glad that the Government has recently allowed a relaxation of requirements for construction companies to bring in additional manpower from less traditional sources. Industry associations, too, have started a pilot to bring in migrant workers from India in a calibrated manner. I would like to ask how many migrant workers have been brought into Singapore through such schemes? Is the number even close to the monthly outflow? Madam, we need to act decisively to stop the upward trajectory of workplace fatalities. If we do not act now, we stand to lose more lives to workplace accidents than to COVID-19 since the outbreak began. This is a grim milestone that we hope not to see.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Ministerial Statements made by the Minister for Finance, which seek to provide targeted support measures to help businesses and individuals who have been most directly affected by the tightened restrictions to combat the local COVID-19 clusters that have formed rapidly within our community. The proposed extensions to the Job Support Scheme, the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme and the Enhanced Enterprise Financing Scheme–Trade Loan (EFS-TL) will be vital in providing businesses with much-needed liquidity to stay afloat. These will, in turn, help to save jobs in the most affected sectors and we, in the Labour Movement, are in full support of these measures. In his speech, the Finance Minister also spoke about the realities of living with an endemic COVID-19 and how the Government is preparing a roadmap for Singapore to learn to live normally with the virus. My speech today will focus on the indirect impact that COVID-19 has had on two vulnerable segments of our workforce. They are our migrant workers and our PMEs. Madam, our workers are dying, literally. The first half of 2021 saw 22 workplace fatalities, with 11 deaths recorded in the month of February alone. More recently, three workers died within a period of five days in separate incidents in June. According to MOM, the workplace fatalities involved safety lapses, which mean that the accidents could have and should have been prevented. The increase in workplace fatalities comes as we reopen our economy, with various tough safe management measures imposed at our worksites to curb the spread of COVID-19. Examples include cohorting of workers, establishing split teams and making sure workers do not cross zones within the worksite and even within the dormitory.”
“Madam, in conclusion, the shift to digitalise the LPA is an important step in making it more accessible to every segment of our population. But we need to ensure that the less tech-savvy have easy access to the process and there must be robust safeguards to prevent fraud. With that, I support the Bill.”
“Can the Ministry provide a demographic breakdown of applicants that have become donors in the past five years and share its plans to destigmatise the topic of LPA and encourage adoption especially among our seniors? Mdm Deputy Speaker, the shift to digitalise LPA applications means that we need to put in place robust safeguards to prevent fraudulent applications. Under the Bill, the electronic copy of a registered LPA will be treated as free from error if individuals do not notify the OPG of any rectification within 90 days. I am particularly concerned about this. How would someone know that someone else has impersonated them either as a donor or a donee? How will OPG know if fraud or undue pressure was used to induce a donor to make an LPA or appoint a particular person to be their donee? I would also like to ask if there had been instances of a donee being appointed by multiple donors and whether this would be a key factor in determining fraudulent digital LPA applications. Lastly, I would like to echo what several Members have raised yesterday and today, about the importance of ensuring that digital LPA applications remain accessible to the less tech-savvy, particularly our seniors. While I am glad to hear that MSF plans to leverage community touchpoints like the Citizen Connect Centres at our Community Centres, to aid those who need help, I believe that more can be done to assist our seniors at the hubs that they frequent. I would like to, therefore, suggest working with Senior Activity Centres, which are based in out heartlands, to assist their members with the digital LPA applications. We can also consider using the regional Social Service Office to be used as another channel to outreach to vulnerable Singaporeans?”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I stand in support of the Bill, which seeks to enable the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to be made electronically. Madam, the LPA is an important legal instrument that safeguards the interests of those who lose their mental capacity. Once we reach the age of 21, anyone of us can become a donor and appoint one or more persons whom we trust to become a donee to make decisions on our behalf in the unfortunate event that we lose our mental faculties. According to data from the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), the number of LPAs registered has been on an upward trend. In 2016, there were only about 8,000 LPAs registered. But in just the first three months of 2021, we have seen over 9,000 LPAs registered and MSF expects more than 40,000 LPAs to be registered by the end of this year. The proposed amendments in the Bill are, therefore, timely as an online system will allow the Ministry to cater to a higher volume of LPA applications. While it is encouraging to seeing an increasing number of LPA applications in recent years, we need to be aware that those who have registered as a doner remains a very small minority in our society and more must be done to address the stigma that comes associated with conversations about LPA. It is common to hear our loved ones, especially our parents and grandparents, dismiss discussions about registering an LPA with words like "touch wood", or more colloquially, "choy!" and, unfortunately, the conversation does not progress past this stage. Amongst the young, many simply think that this is something for our seniors to do.”
“We could also provide an early adopter grant to incentivise employers to purchase or lease buses to transport their workers. I believe that this is a necessary price to pay to ensure the safety of the many workers who have left the comfort of their home country to help build our nation. Sir, in conclusion, we can do more to enhance the safety of our roads for vulnerable groups. Cyclists and PAB riders should not cycle on busy bus lanes during peak hours, and our migrant workers, and all workers, should have safer transport to work. With that, I support the Bill.”
“If employers persist to use lorries to transport their workers, we want to reduce the associated risks significantly. We can do so by securing the passengers with proper seat belts and by restricting the lorry's travelling speed when transporting workers. In her earlier reply to Parliamentary Questions filed on this topic, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor highlighted that a workgroup had studied such issues back in 2008 and found that the cargo beds of lorries were not constructed in a manner for seat belts to be retrofitted safely. That has been more than 10 years ago. I am glad that Senior Minister of State has indicated that the Ministry would review the issue again together with the tripartite partners and factor in new advancement in vehicle manufacturing and seat belt technology. We also need to review the speed limit when passengers are on board goods vehicles. As Senior Minister of State Amy Khor mentioned, lorries are already subjected to a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour. But is this safe enough? One research paper suggests that passengers in cargo areas are 7.9 times more likely to lose their lives in the event of an accident. Therefore, I do urge LTA to re-look the issue and limit the permissible travelling speed of lorries when they are used to transport passengers. Sir, the Labour Movement is keenly aware of the difficult economic situation that many employers are facing today. I hope the Government can help offset the financial burden employers will face when enhancing the transportation safety for our workers. I have some suggestions. We could exempt buses used to transport our workers from COE, similar to how school buses are already exempted today.”
“The Labour Movement is engaging the Singapore Contractors Association Limited, or SCAL, to push for the implementation of separate transport arrangements for workers as soon as possible. NTUC is also engaging the relevant Government agencies to address implementation issues. We want our workers to get to their workplaces and back home safely every day. While tripartite negotiations are underway, we should explore interim safety measures that can be adopted immediately. First, we call on employers to hire a dedicated driver to transport their workers. This is to eliminate the issue of driver fatigue. Many companies, especially those outside of the construction sector, still require their workers to double-hat as a driver after a tiring full work shift. This unsafe practice must stop. Drivers should also be required to have a vocational driving licence before they can transport passengers. This is a step-up from the current requirements for migrant worker drivers to pass the local Class 3 driving exam, as vocational training will focus on safety when transporting passengers. Mandatory licensing also allows our authorities to screen and track drivers for any adverse driving records. Second, the co-mingling of goods and passengers should be outlawed. Co-mingling of goods and passengers is unsafe and is potentially fatal. If not properly secured, passengers risk being pinned by these heavy goods and machineries in the event of an accident, or even a sudden braking of the vehicle. Between goods and passengers, there should only be one onboard the vehicle at any one time. While the number of accidents involving lorries may have gone down over the past 10 years, the risk for major injury and fatality per incident is high.”
“During bus lane operational hours, where there is peak hour traffic and where more buses are deployed, overtaking is both difficult and dangerous. Cyclists, in particular amateurs, are especially vulnerable if they do not know how to navigate safely the blind spots of a big bus. As Executive Secretary of the National Transport Workers' Union, my bus captains have told me repeatedly that they are seeing more cyclists on the bus lanes. Many do not keep to the curb side and some ride two, or even three, abreast. Bus captains worry for the safety of cyclists and other road users when attempting to overtake them. It is also common for buses to have to overtake and re-overtake the same peloton of cyclists, as they bypass the bus at bus stops; and the dangerous cycle – pardon the pun – repeats itself. I urge the Ministry to not allow cyclists and PAB users on bus lanes during operational hours. This is both for their safety and also the safety of other road users. Sir, I was deeply distressed when I heard the news that the lives of two migrant workers were lost in a traffic accident involving a lorry and a tipper truck on 20 April. Less than a week later, there was another lorry accident which resulted in 10 migrant workers conveyed to the hospital. The NTUC's Migrant Workers' Centre is assisting the injured workers in their recovery process and raising funds to help the families of the workers whose lives were lost in the tragic accident. Safety concerns about how our workers are transported are not new. Regulations were amended back in 2011, following a spate of fatal road traffic accidents involving workers then. However, the recent accidents are a grim reminder that trucks and lorries should only be used to transport goods and not people.”
“I was deeply concerned to hear about a fatal car accident in the US in April, which involved a Tesla vehicle which was believed to be operating on autonomous mode. While we impose strict safety standards on AV developers, how are we regulating seemingly conventional cars that are increasingly being equipped with new technologies, such as ADAS? Car manufacturers have marketed such systems as an autopilot feature, which may give some drivers the illusion that they do not need to pay attention to the road when this feature is switched on. I hope that LTA could look seriously into this and review if there is a need for more regulation of such autopilot features and systems in cars. Mr Speaker, according to a recent article by Lianhe Zaobao, 2020 saw 565 road accident casualties involving cyclists, PAB users and their pillion riders. This is a 23% increase from 2019. The article speculated that the increase could be due to more people taking up cycling as a hobby due to the pandemic and being unfamiliar with safe riding habits on the road. Today, to allow our public buses to have a safe and smooth journey during peak hours, the Road Traffic Act prohibits almost all vehicle types from plying the bus lanes during operational hours. Cyclists, however, are allowed to cycle in the bus lanes in a single file. Sir, the Highway Code recommends that motorists give 1.5 metres of space when overtaking cyclists. Let us do some simple math here. The minimum width of our traffic lane is three metres and the average width of our public buses is around 2.5 metres. It is simply impossible for our buses to overtake cyclists safely without infringing into the next lane.”
“Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Bill, which seeks to enhance the safety of our roads and road users. As a former Police officer and current unionist looking after the welfare of our transport workers, road safety is a topic very close to my heart. With close to a million road users plying our roads each day, we need to ensure that all of us get to our destinations safely. My speech today will focus on three key aspects where road safety can and must be improved – the safety of autonomous technologies, the safety of cyclists and power-assisted bicycle (PAB) users and the safety of our migrant workers when travelling to work. Sir, our Autonomous Vehicle (AV) regulatory sandbox was first established for a period of five years from 2017 to 2022. This is to facilitate the conduct of AV trials in Singapore and to support research and development in the industry. The Bill proposes to extend this regulatory sandbox for another five years, to facilitate even more trials until 2027. I would like to ask LTA for an update on the various AV trials conducted here in Singapore in the past five years. How are we doing in respect to other key countries racing to develop AVs, which will include the United States, Germany and the Netherlands? Have our plans to trial autonomous public buses in Punggol, Tengah and the Jurong Innovation District been disrupted by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic? If so, can LTA provide the new timeline for these trials to take place? As we continue to keep a keen eye on the development of AVs, it is also important that we look at the regulation of the Advanced Driver Assistance System, or ADAS.”
“Mr Chairman, our children are often the ones who suffer the most disproportionate consequences in cases of divorce, particularly when the divorce is a high-conflict one and the parents involved are unable to co-parent effectively. According to the MSF Study on the Inter-generational Effects of Divorce on Children in Singapore, children generally tend to suffer divorce penalties in terms of their income and academic qualifications. They were less likely to get married themselves, and among those who did, they were more likely to get divorced. Sir, we need to do more to break this cycle, by going upstream to help strengthen the resilience of our family relations and keep healthy marriages intact. According to the latest divorce statistics released in 2019, there were about three divorces in every 10 marriages. Can MSF provide an update on the number of divorce cases in 2020? I worry that the added stress and anxiety from the prolonged pandemic might could cause a further deterioration of relations in unstable marriages. I would like to ask what is MSF doing to help strengthen familial and couple relations, especially for families dealing with multiple challenges due to the pandemic. Can MSF examine ways to help couples identify early signs of marriage distress, especially for the most cited reason of "unreasonable behaviour" and help resolve such marital issues earlier, rather than waiting till pre-divorce proceedings have been initiated? Lastly, in unfortunate cases where it is not possible to save the marriage, what is the Ministry's plans to mitigate the divorce penalties on our children? Ending Domestic Violence”
“Chairman, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this Government has moved quickly and decisively to strengthen our social safety net to support Singaporeans who have lost their livelihoods. The expansion in our financial assistance schemes, as well as the strengthening of our social support systems, in areas such as employment assistance and jobs creation, have been helpful in assisting the vulnerable segments of our society. MSF recently launched the new COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) to support lower to middle income employees and self-employed persons whose livelihoods continue to be financially impacted by the pandemic. Can MSF provide an update on the CRG – how many have applied, the average success rates, as well as reasons why applications have been rejected – and share more on how this grant is designed to help the recipients? Sir, the pandemic has also affected our care-givers, particularly the informal care-givers who perform their duties full-time but without an income. Care-givers are an important pillar of our social safety net, performing their duties invisibly, to prevent vulnerable Singaporeans from falling onto the Government's social safety net. We need to provide better support to the invisible hands that help us to stich the safety nets above the state's current resources. What are the Ministry's plans to better support care-givers, and to alleviate some of the current burdens that they face? Lastly, can MSF provide an update on job creation efforts in the social sector? Is there a need to increase the number of jobs in this vital sector, so that we leave no vulnerable Singaporean behind? Strengthening Social Service Delivery”
“Sir, the COVID-19 pandemic has badly battered our aviation and point-to-point land transport sectors, and I am glad that the Government has provided continued support to the workers in these sectors with the extensions to the Jobs Support Scheme and the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund. However, with many governments globally struggling to procure vaccines for their population, the downturn in global air travel is likely to continue. Many of our aviation brothers and sisters, from SIA and SATS, for example, were re-deployed to other sectors for the past year. What will happen to them? Are there still job prospects left in our aviation sector? Despite the prolonged downturn, certain segments of jobs within our transport industry have remained resilient. First, the electrification of our land transport system is expected to give rise to new jobs. An electric motor has only about 20 moving parts, compared to nearly 2,000 in an internal combustion engine. How does MOT intend to retrain our existing technicians and create new jobs in tandem with the push for electrical vehicles? Second, our MRT network is expected to double to 360 km by 2030. How many new jobs will our expanding rail network create for Singaporeans? Third, the e-commerce boom during the pandemic has shown us that logistics is a vital sector, and more than just the delivery of goods and food. What is MOT’s plan to leverage the fast-evolving urban logistics industry to create new jobs? Lastly, can the Ministry provide an update on the Tuas Mega Port and whether its first phase opening scheduled for this year is still on track? How many new jobs will the Tuas Mega Port offer? Opportunities for Land Transport SMEs”
“Mr Chairman, during the Budget debate, I spoke about the implications of the work-from-anywhere and work-from-home phenomena. COVID-19 has transformed our travel patterns, due to the changes in the way we live and the way we work. Has peak-travel public transport commuter load returned to pre-COVID levels, or are we in a new normal situation due to staggered working hours, split-team and telecommuting arrangements? Should we review our public transport provisions, which were developed in the pre-COVID days, to account for these changes? Sir, we spend about $1 billion annually to subsidise our public bus operations. Before the pandemic, only 11 out of 356 bus services were profitable. However, the drop in ridership due to the safe management measures taken to combat the pandemic has worsened the situation. According to MOT, as of July 2020, all our public bus services were in the red, meaning their fare revenue could not cover their operating expenses. Rail operations too, are heavily subsidised. Sir, it is important that we find a sustainable financing model as we continue to expand our public transport network in the coming years. We need to also ensure fair renumeration for the more than 20,000 workers who work tirelessly, day and night, to keep our public transport system operating smoothly and safely. Perhaps, it is time that we review our Bus Contracting Model, which was introduced in 2016. With our expanding MRT network, is the traditional hub-and-spoke model of our public bus operations still relevant? Will we consider affordable on-demand bus services to replace trunk and cross-island bus services that incur high costs, but have low commuter load? Sustainability of Public Transport”
“Madam, the House recently debated about the importance of combating climate change, and I fully support the ambitious goals announced under the Singapore Green Plan 2030. However, I also echo some concerns Members have raised about our push for Electric Vehicles (EVs), particularly the installation of charging points. How did the Ministry decide on the target of 60,000 EV charging points by 2030? Is there a corresponding 2030 EV adoption target? Can our power grid and local sub-stations, particularly those located in older HDB estates, cope with this additional load? 7.00 pm Have we factored in the rapid development of EV batteries, particularly the recent revival in swappable battery technology and battery-as-a-service solutions? Will this make fixed charging points irrelevant in the years to come? What were the lessons learnt from the experience of installing BlueSG charging points, which required significant cross-agency collaboration? Madam, there has also been much global debate about whether EVs are truly good for the environment. The crux lies in the way EV batteries are produced and, perhaps more critically, how they are disposed. According to research papers, recycling useful materials from lithium-ion batteries remains a tedious and risky process. Placing them in landfills can cause them to explode and is also not a feasible option for land-scarce Singapore. Does the Ministry have plans to ensure the sustainable disposal and recycling of EV batteries? To better address such potential environmental pollution issues, can the Ministry revise the current Vehicular Emissions Scheme to impose a pollution tax on how "green" the EV manufacturer supply chain is instead of focusing on tailpipe emissions? Promoting Cleaner and Greener Vehicles”
“Chairman, I have two clarifications for Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad. First, on workplace safety. I am glad that the Senior Minister of State agrees with my suggestion to upskill SMOs to become WSH representatives in their companies. The NTUC will work closely with MOM to push and facilitate this. Some safety officers have raised concerns that their hands are sometimes tied when it comes to improving internal workplace safety practices in their companies. They constantly worry that doing so will cause them to be blackmarked by their employers as workplace safety is always seen as a cost centre. They worry that speaking up may put their employment contract renewal at risk sometimes. I would like to ask if the Ministry can better safeguard the interests of our safety professionals so that they can perform their roles and improve workplace safety for all workers confidently and with greater assurance. Second, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State to respond to my question on whether we can better track the effectiveness of our workplace mental health initiatives and the adoption of our tripartite advisory on mental well-being at workplaces through perhaps the annual surveys that MOM conducts.”
“Among the small minority that do, it is common to hear that utilisation rate is low, due possibly to poor awareness. EAP is important as it provides an avenue for the employee to seek support for any matters that affect their mental health. Companies that offer EAP report happier employees and an increase in productivity. I hope MOM can incentivise companies to provide EAP to their staff, by creating an early-EAP adoption incentive scheme to partially offset the “start-up” costs. Sir, it is also important that we recognise exemplary companies and individuals who have gone above and beyond their call of duty to help achieve workplace mental well-being among their employees and colleagues. By showcasing the best-in-class and good role models, we can inspire others to follow in their lead. I am, therefore, happy to announce that the tripartite partners have agreed to recognise exemplary companies and individuals this year with the Mental Well-being at Workplaces Awards, which will be presented at the annual Singapore WSH Awards Ceremony. I would like to thank both MOM and SNEF for their strong support. More details will be announced in due course. Mr Chairman, workplace mental health issues are real and ever-present. The Labour Movement is committed to protect the mental well-being of all workers, because Every Worker Matters.”
“Sir, studies have shown that fatigue is directly correlated to workplace accidents. We must, therefore, ensure that our workers are well-rested so that they can concentrate on performing their work safely. I hope MOM can set clear guidelines on rest time for workers, especially at high-risk work sites. Also, there are only so many worksite safety inspections that MOM can do. For WSH, workplace safety, to truly be pervasive, we need a dedicated WSH representative in every company. I have spoken numerous times on this and I urge MOM to implement it quickly. We can upskill the Safe Management Officers to perform this role once the pandemic is over. Let us ensure every worker returns home safely every day. Workplace Mental Health Mr Chairman, my next cut. Since the issuance of the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces, many have written to me to say that this is a step in the right direction towards de-stigmatising mental health issues. However, they also expressed hope that more could be done to encourage better adoption of the Tripartite Advisory. I would like to ask how many companies have since fully adopted the recommendations listed in the Advisory? MOM conducts the Comprehensive Labour Force survey yearly to help shape national manpower polices. Can we include workplace mental health, in particular, the adoption of the Advisory's recommendations in these surveys to help track our efforts in building mental resilience among our workers? To drive full adoption of the Tripartite Advisory, we need to start in a targeted manner. I propose we focus on the adoption of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs). According to a study conducted by the National Council of Social Services, less than 5% of employers surveyed offered EAP to their staff.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. February 2021 – 11 lives were lost at our workplaces in just 28 days. This is alarming, if we compare this to the 30 workplace fatalities for the whole of 2020. Sir, all these accidents could have and should have been prevented. According to MOM’s data, smaller construction firms with less than 50 employees, have a higher fatality rate than larger firms. While main contractors have the resources to put in place comprehensive safety measures, these sub-contractors often do not. Many sub-contractors face manpower shortage during this period. Burdened further by the necessary safe management measures, sub-contractors often engage their own sub-contractors. I am told that there can be up to four layers of sub-contractors at one major worksite. This can sometimes lead to a situation where the eventual worker performing a high-risk task may not be qualified or trained to do so. Sir, Sub-contracting is not inherently dangerous, as companies may need to engage a specialist to perform a part of the project. But developers and main contractors cannot lose sight of the one eventually performing the work underneath these layers of sub-contracting. How many main contractors have been prosecuted for WSH lapses by their sub-contractors? We last reviewed the penalties under the WSH Act in 2017. Is it time for us to review the penalties again? We should also mandate developers to include a safety component in their tender specifications, budget and evaluation so that good safety measures will be a key consideration when awarding projects. Often, parts of a major project are sub-contracted to freelancers and self-employed. I urge MOM to extend WICA coverage to them, particularly for high-risk sectors, such as marine and construction.”
“With the new work-from-home culture, I hope that the PSD can drive the adoption of flexible working arrangements; and set the tone for companies in the private sector to follow.”
“In my Budget debate speech, I highlighted how the two phenomena of work-from-anywhere and work-from-home, will result in Government having to fundamentally re-assess long-held policy beliefs. In the face of such rapid global transformation, we need to ensure that our Public Service remains agile to respond to these changes. Our public officers will need to remain adaptable through constant upskilling and new experiences, so that they can serve Singapore effectively in the new normal. I would like to ask what is PSD's plan to ensure that our public officers of today will be ready to take on the challenges for tomorrow. How will our Public Service tap on the potential of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 5G, and autonomous robotics? For our Public Service leaders of tomorrow to effectively drive transformation in Ministries and Statutory Boards, we need to ensure that we groom officers from a wide variety of background. While the Public Service has committed to recruit talents from both the private and people sectors, more can be done to send more officers on external attachments to acquire fresh perspectives, including to the Labour Movement. How many public officers have been seconded to the private and people sectors? Can PSD set a target for key sectors, such as education, health and trade and industry? 7.00 pm Sir, in the new normal, with increased life expectancies, how does the PSD plan to extend the lifelong employability of our public officers? Are our Public Service schemes ready for the day when more Singaporeans live beyond 90 years? Lastly, as the largest employer in Singapore, companies turn to the Public Service to take the lead in adopting progressive workplace practices.”
“This is a pilot partnership between the NTUC and the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, to help residents in Radin Mas find jobs closer to home – more specifically, within a 5-km radius of the constituency. Residents with care-giving needs often tell me that they cannot afford a long commute to work. With this initiative, we hope to plug this gap and help match our residents with nearby companies. Most jobs on offer today are just a short bus ride away. Mr Deputy Speaker, Budget 2021 will be the first time in our history that we are drawing on our reserves for a second consecutive financial year. This is an unprecedented move that befits the unprecedented crisis that we are facing. As we tackle the twin challenges brought about by the pandemic and the macro global trends affecting our workplaces, I am confident that the resources set aside in this Budget will spur transformation among our workers and our businesses. The extension and enhancements made to the Jobs Growth Incentive will help all segments of workers, including mature workers, persons with disabilities, as well as ex-offenders, to transit into jobs in growth sectors. The Labour Movement stands united with the Government in helping Singapore emerge stronger together from the shadows of the pandemic and tap on the opportunities that the future holds. With that, I support the Budget. [Applause.]”
“Without a dedicated area to work, we are easily distracted with our children and by other things in the house that need our attention. Unfortunately, space is increasingly difficult to come by. In the 1980s, a 4-room HDB Model "A" flat would come with a floor area of between 105 to 108 sqm. Today, new 4-room HDB flats have a floor area of 90 sqm. HDB flats have shrunk in size, understandably, due to the reduction in our average household in size. But with more working and learning from home, is it time for us to return to building bigger HDB flats once again? An extra 15 sqm can provide Singaporeans with a study room that can also double up as a home office. Second, let us provide better support to care-givers. For many, working from home also means juggling work with care-giving needs. These informal care-givers are often disadvantaged in their careers and retirement adequacy. But we have an opportunity to change this. According to a Straits Times survey, eight in 10 workers in Singapore prefer to work from home or have flexible work arrangements. With this new normal of working from home, we need to encourage more employers to adopt flexible work arrangements. This will allow care-givers to concurrently work and care for their loved ones, without having to make the difficult decision to choose one over the other. In Radin Mas, we are building an eco-system to support our residents with care-giving needs. Last year, we brought some of NTUC's most experienced career coaches to the community centre to help those who need career guidance and job placement services. This has been particularly helpful for care-givers who had left work for a period of time and were struggling to return to the workforce. Today, I am happy to announce the new Jobs Closer to Home programme.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, training for jobs of the future is not as daunting as it sounds. During my multiple visits to our Autonomous Vehicle (AV) trials locally, I met Ken Chia, a member of the National Transport Workers’ Union. Ken is a bus captain who is now a certified AV operator. When the AV is in operation, Ken’s responsibility is to ensure the safety of his passengers, and to take over manual control of the vehicle when needed. Instead of a conventional steering wheel, Ken uses a small hand-held console comprising two joysticks. He jokingly said that it was easy for him, as he played plenty of video games during his teenage days. But in reality, the initial training was anything but easy for Ken. More comfortable with the Chinese language, he had a tough time understanding the original training content, as it was taught in English by a French instructor! But the company stepped in and the training materials were translated into Chinese for him. The lessons were also adapted to provide more hands-on training. Ken is a good example of a worker who is already performing a job of the future. Every worker matters. And the Labour Movement is committed to helping every worker transform and be ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow, Mr Deputy Speaker, COVID-19 has caused a fundamental shift to our workplace culture, with many companies allowing their employees to telecommute; and local banks, such as DBS and UOB, have already committed to make flexi-work arrangements a permanent policy post-pandemic. Working from home, however, has brought along its own set of challenges, relating to space and care-giving needs. First, being productive while you work from home requires sufficient space. Parents will know what I mean.”
“As technologies like 5G and autonomous robotics begin to proliferate, governments will have to confront a major dilemma – how much of the country's key economic activities will be permitted to be run by companies and operated by a growing workforce domiciled elsewhere? Our public officers will need adapt in the face of such major developments. But how many of our public officers today are ready to take on the challenges for tomorrow? Are our public service schemes ready for the day where life expectancies in Singapore reach well over 90 years? I will speak more about the pressing need for our Public Service to take the lead in remaining adaptable during the COS debate. We also need to invest in the right public service infrastructure to seize the opportunities of tomorrow. While I am heartened that the Government will commit 1% of our GDP, or about $25 billion, over the next five years to invest in research and innovation, we need to ask ourselves: is this ambitious enough? According to the latest list of the world's top 500 supercomputers, the processing power of Singapore's fastest supercomputer is ranked at 390th in the world. Contrast this to January 2017, just four years ago, when our first supercomputer, the Aspire 1, was then ranked 115th in the world. Have we lost pace in the development of deep technology infrastructure? What can we do to catch up? 6.45 pm There is also an urgent need to re-look at SkillsFuture. Since its launch, less than 24% of eligible Singaporeans have utilised their SkillsFuture Credits. Clearly, we have hit a point of marginal returns. We need to thoroughly review the SkillsFuture Credits programme and tweak the objectives of the programme to equip Singaporeans with future-ready skills.”
“Instead, we learn, we adapt and we always strive to do better than the competition. To prepare Singapore for the eventuality of global competition, we will need to re-think our key manpower policies. Will our Work Pass and Employment Pass regime remain relevant when companies no longer need employees to be physically based in one location to perform the work? How long will this conventional system of balancing our local-foreign workforce mix continue to serve us? But it is not all bad news. The ability to work from anywhere will bring the world closer to Singaporeans. A good example is James Kwa, a Business Development Manager at Asia Market Entry, a consultancy company that partners with the Economic Development Board to bring investments into Singapore. Prior to the pandemic, James had to travel up to three times a week to meet and attract technology companies to set up shop in Singapore. But his company had to innovate due to the global shutdown in air travel. James now hosts overseas companies virtually through a suite of video content and video conferencing tools. When the pandemic is over, James and his company intend to continue hosting clients virtually, as the time saved from travelling allows them to showcase Singapore to even more clients. Mr Deputy Speaker, we must not underestimate the pace of transformation. By 2035, technological advances will have a major impact on the social and economic foundations of society. Today, we are already seeing an increase in the popularity of online project management tools, such as Asana, which allows managers to remotely manage team members based anywhere in the world.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Budget, which seeks to help all segments of our economy – workers, businesses and households – to rebound strongly from the devastating impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, I support the Government's proposal to set aside $11 billion under the COVID-19 Resilience Package to support workers and businesses, especially for sectors that are still under duress. The extension of the Jobs Support Scheme and the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund, for example, will go a long way to assist our brothers and sisters in the aviation, tourism and point-to-point transport sectors. But while we continue to provide support to affected sectors, we need to also address new macro trends that are developing in our workforce and at our workplaces. I will focus on two of them in my speech today. They are the phenomena of Work-From-Anywhere and the Work-From-Home. In his speech, the Deputy Prime Minister spoke briefly about workplace trends and hinted how in the not-too-distant future, Singaporeans will be able to work from anywhere in the world, with just a laptop. I cannot agree more with the Deputy Prime Minister. In fact, I would argue that the Work-From-Anywhere trend is already happening today. This ability to work from anywhere is both an excellent opportunity, as well as a serious threat for Singapore and Singaporeans. How so? Competition for jobs will increase and this will no longer just be limited to talents located in Singapore. Instead, competition can come from literally anywhere in the world. What kind of jobs will be at risk? With seamless connectivity, supported by 5G technology, every job is at risk. But Singapore has never feared competition, even in the darkest of times.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I just have one supplementary question. At NTUC, I regularly receive feedback from our PMETs, in particular, mothers and those with ageing parents, that they often feel that they have been disadvantaged in their careers due to their care-giving needs. With COVID-19 drastically changing the way that we work and permanent telecommuting arrangements have now become a reality, I would like to ask if the Ministry has any plans to encourage or even incentivise employers to adopt prolonged telecommuting arrangements for employees with care-giving needs, so that they can both work and care for their loved ones, at the same time.”
“However, just as 3D printing technology gives criminals the ability to produce their own guns, it would also allow these hobbyists to 3D-print their own gun replicas. I would like to ask if the Bill would criminalise the possession of digital blueprints for gun replicas, such as BB guns and Water BB guns. Are there any plans to engage gun replica hobbyists, so that we can allow them some flexibility in pursuing their passion within a safeguarded space, perhaps, through a proper licensing framework? To conclude, Mr Speaker, the introduction of the Bill is timely as it will allow our enforcement agencies to keep pace with criminals seeking to use new technologies to commit crime and perform acts of terror in Singapore. While it is important to ban the unauthorised possession of 3D gun blueprints, we need to also prevent the downloading of these blueprints on the Dark Web and regulate specific 3D printers that can use these blueprints to produce a functional gun. As we move into the new decade, drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles will increasingly become a security threat, and we will need to step up on our anti-drone capabilities. I also hope that the Ministry could do more to engage hobbyists, who often keep their hobbies in the dark, for fear of running afoul of the law, as they, too, can use the same additive manufacturing technology to 3D-print replica guns, and even functional ones. With that, I support the Bill.”
“I would like to ask the Minister of State what will be our defences and countermeasures against such drone attacks, in particular, if the drone is operated remotely by an operator based outside of Singapore? Are there plans to develop our own anti-drone radar and jamming systems? Many Members of this House would recall the drone disruptions that happened at Changi Airport in June 2019, which shows that malicious actors need not necessarily load a drone with a weapon to cause damage in Singapore. The drone itself can be the weapon. Mr Speaker, another key provision of the Bill is to allow for the outsourcing of compliance checks for low-risk guns, explosives and weapons (GEWs). According to the Minister of State, this is to allow our Licensing Officers to focus their attention on high-risk GEWs. While I can understand the intent and need to optimise our resources, we must ensure that the third parties that are contracted are able to maintain the high standards of the MHA and SPF. I would, therefore, like to ask what will be the training, if any, that will be provided to these third-party licensing officers, what are the standards that will be imposed on them, and how does the Ministry intend to ensure that they adhere to these standards. Mr Speaker, as we review our existing regulatory regime governing weapons and firearms, we need to also bear in mind that there exists a small but sizable number of replica gun hobbyists in Singapore, who have an interest in collecting gun replicas. While gun replicas are harmless on its own, the high resemblance to real guns can cause a lot of undue fear and alarm, especially to vulnerable people such as the elderly and children. Many replica gun hobbyists are deeply private and most pursue their passion quietly.”
“As the Executive Secretary of the United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries, I have seen first-hand how 3D printers have become more versatile today, and are now able to print different materials, alloys and even carbon fibre. There are several types of 3D printers currently available on the market, catering to a wide range of customers – from action figure enthusiasts, to start-ups doing rapid prototyping, to aeroplane manufacturers. These 3D printers can use a wide variety of “raw ingredients”, from plastics, to metal, to carbon fibre. Perhaps, the Ministry could consider imposing a licensing requirement on those who import industrial-grade 3D printers, as such devices have the potential to 3D-print a fully functioning gun. Examples would include the Stereolithography printer, the Direct Metal Laser Sintering printer, and the Electron Beam Melting printer. Mr Speaker, the Bill’s proposal to criminalise the act of loading drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles with weapons and explosives is both timely and crucial. As the Minister of State mentioned in his speech yesterday, drones loaded with weapons can pose a serious threat to safety and security. As early as 2015, there were news reports of a teenager in the United States who had already figured out a way to mount a handgun onto a drone and fire it remotely. To make things more worrying, instructional videos on how to do this, which is to replicate this remote firing process, can easily be found online. As technology progresses and the effective range for drones increases exponentially, it is likely that drones can be controlled beyond an operator’s visual line of sight, and foreign sources can use their drones to enter our airspace with malicious intent.”
“Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Guns, Explosives, and Weapons Control Bill, which seeks to review and strengthen our existing regulatory regime governing weapons and firearms, to keep pace with the security risks posed by new technologies. Mr Speaker, one of the key provisions of this Bill is to outlaw the unauthorised possession of any digital blueprint for the manufacture of a gun or a major part of a gun, to mitigate the threat posed by illegal manufacturing of guns with 3D-printing technology. This is a timely move given the increasing rate of technological advancement of additive manufacturing. In addition to criminalising the unauthorised possession of digital blueprints for guns, we would also need to proactively cut off the source where such blueprints get downloaded. I would like to ask how the Ministry plans to tackle the issue of criminals downloading digital gun blueprints from the Internet, in particular the Dark Web? I would also like to ask if there would be any circumstances that a person or an organisation would be authorised to possess a 3D blueprint of a gun, and what would be the obligations placed on such a person or organisation to ensure that there are proper safeguards to prevent misuse of such blueprints. Mr Speaker, much like trying to stem the influx of pornographic and terrorist-related propaganda on the Internet, I foresee that it will be nearly impossible for us to fully cut off access to digital blueprints of guns online. I would, therefore, urge that we start to think about how we should regulate specific types of 3D printers that are able to manufacture these guns.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for her reply. Divorce can be messy affairs and the children in these cases often suffer the consequences. Just last night, I had two divorce-related conflict cases at my Meet-the-People Session (MPS). Our children need stability and security to grow into healthy adults and experts have said that it is important for divorced parents to remain amicable and be able to effectively co-parent, in order to mitigate what the experts term as "divorce penalty". I would like to ask the Minister of State, on average, how many percent of divorce cases are high-conflict cases, where the parents are unable to co-parent well; and whether MSF's social workers are able to step in earlier to help the children in such divorce cases, rather than having to wait until the Court orders a supervised exchange and visitation programme?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his reply. I have two supplementary questions. Prior to COVID-19, the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur air route was one of the busiest in the world, with more than four million passengers flying this route every year. The HSR Project was meant to shorten the travel time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur from about five hours by air to just 90 minutes, and provide greater access to both cities. My first question is, what is the impact of the HSR's cancellation on the attractiveness of Singapore as the region's premier air hub and on the SIA Group as a whole? My second question is, how many staff at SG HSR Pte Ltd have been impacted by the project's cancellation and how many have already been redeployed to other job roles? Will these be made permanent? And what are the manpower plans for the remaining staff that have yet to be redeployed?”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. I have two supplementary questions. From the information that Senior Minister of State has just shared, I think it is obvious that the prolonged telecommuting work arrangements have resulted in increased tensions among neighbours. Those who are used to leaving home to go to the workplace during most part of the day are unfamiliar and unaccustomed to the usual activities and noise generated during the day in our HDB estates. There is therefore a need, to look at fostering better relationships among neighbours today, more so than before. First, I would like to ask if HDB is considering any plans or programmes to help ease tensions and foster better understanding among neighbours. Second, I would like to ask what is the percentage of neighbour dispute cases received by the HDB that had to be escalated to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal or CDRT. How many of such cases managed to get resolved when escalated to the CDRT and what are the residents' options if the dispute is not able to be resolved at the tribunal?”
“Mr Speaker, I think the Minister of State for his reply. I have one supplementary question. Mr Speaker, I have many seniors living in my Radin Mas constituency. It has been many months since they had been able to gather with their friends and go on community-led outings. Many of them tell me that they are really looking forward to these SRVs so that they can use this opportunity to go on local tours with their friends once again. I would like to ask if the Ministry has plans to work with vendors to create senior-exclusive tours that can be paid for with these vouchers and to hold these tours during off-peak hours where there are lesser crowds, so that our seniors can have a safe Singapore holiday with their friends?”
“For example, companies will have to undertake an extensive review of their data protection procedures to ensure that they meet the Bill's expanded scope of "deemed consent", as well as ensure that their current systems are able to comply with the new data portability obligation. Many businesses are already reeling from the impact of COVID-19 and they are worried about the cost of adhering to the revised regime. To alleviate these concerns, will the Ministry consider providing some form of assistance to these organisations, especially our SMEs or consider perhaps a grace period for the new regulations, so that companies have a longer runway to plan for their organisation's compliance to the latest PDPA rules? Mr Deputy Speaker, the proposed amendments to the PDPA are timely as we seek to transform our economy for the post-COVID-19 future. However, I do think that we need to mete out more deterrent penalties to organisations that continually fail to safeguard the personal data of consumers, as having a stringent data protection policy is important to further strengthen Singapore's position as the region's leading data hub. We also need to focus on educating Singaporeans about personal data literacy, as more organisations seek to collect and monetise our personal data. With that, I support the Bill. 5.25 pm”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, as we debate about the importance of securing the personal data by organisations, the reality is that individuals too have a part to play in ensuring that their personal data is safeguarded. Consumers need to be personal-data-literate and understand what they are consenting to when they tick off the checkboxes under a company's User Agreement. Often, many consumers do not fully read the terms and conditions, as they are written in small font sizes and clauses are often hidden behind many technical jargons. Hence, many simply just check the accept button, not knowing that they would then unwittingly give up their personal data, sometimes in perpetuity, to these commercial entities. We therefore need to educate consumers about personal data literacy, even as the PDPC works to ensure that businesses safeguard data responsibly. I would also like to urge the PDPC to publish guidelines on how companies should highlight their key User Agreement terms and conditions in a simple and upfront manner, preferably in large font size, and make clear to consumers about the categories of personal data that these companies will collect and how they intend to use them. Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, while I am generally supportive of the Bill's proposed amendments, I am, however, concerned about the timing of Bill and its impact to businesses. The proposed amendments to the PDPA are significant and it is likely that many organisations will incur additional costs in adapting to these new regulations.”
“I would also like to know if the PDPC intends to punish repeat offenders more severely, as repeated offences simply go to show that the organisation has not implemented the necessary safeguards to properly protect personal data, despite previous reported lapses. Mr Deputy Speaker, I am also supportive of the Bill's proposal to further tighten the rules around telemarketing and unsolicited spam calls and text messages. Many residents have told me that they continue to receive spam calls and text messages related to online gambling and unlicensed moneylending, despite having registered their phone numbers in the Do-Not-Call or DNC registry. This makes them question what was the point of registering their numbers in the DNC registry in the first place. I therefore support the proposed enhancements to the Spam Control Act 2007 and the DNC provisions, which will serve to provide consumers with more protection from unwanted communications across various platforms. Despite the enhancements, we need to recognise that many spam text messages and calls originate from scammers or unlicensed moneylenders based overseas. I hope that the Ministry could work with our telcos to explore the use of technology to prevent such unsolicited messages, which often contain malware links, as well as spam robo-calls. In the United States, their mobile and broadband providers have worked with the government to create a new protocol called STIR/SHAKEN, which provides a secure mechanism for service providers to cryptographically sign and verify the Caller ID for calls made over the Internet. This has seemingly helped to combat Caller ID spoofing. Could the Ministry explore implementing similar technology here?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of the Bill, which seeks to strengthen the accountability of organisations when handling and protecting personal data and to provide individuals with greater autonomy over their personal data. Mr Deputy Speaker, despite the introduction of the PDPA in 2012 some eight years ago, we continue to see worrying lapses and breaches of personal data by commercial entities. Recent examples include: (a) a data breach by Grab, where the details of over 21,000 GrabHitch drivers and passengers were leaked due to an update of the mobile app; (b) a marketing email sent out by electronics retailer, Courts unwittingly exposed the personal data of over 76,000 customers, and (c) even the Central Depository, whose staff had mailed dividend cheques to outdated addresses, putting at risk the personal data of over 200 account holders. Given the potential severity of these continued breaches, I am supportive of the Bill's proposed increase in financial penalties, from the current cap of $1 million to 10% of the organisation's gross annual turnover. Creating a strict data protection regime and strengthening our enforcement will also be vital in boosting Singapore's position as the region's premier data hub. However, going back to the data breach by Grab that I mentioned earlier, I note that this was Grab's fourth instance in two years, where the company was in breach of the PDPA, and in this latest case, the company was given a fine of $10,000. Some would see this as a small amount for such a large company. I would like to ask what was the largest penalty that the PDPC had imposed on an organisation for a data breach under the current regime.”
“We need to ensure that Safe Management Measures are adhered to strictly. We need to avoid complacency and prevent virus clusters re-emerging from the workplace. To do so, I hope that MOM will finally heed my repeated calls for a mandatory WSH officer at every workplace. To conclude, I would like to commend every Singaporean and resident who have been involved in this tireless fight against COVID-19. From our healthcare workers fighting hard at the frontline, to every individual who practises Safe Management Measures every single day – wearing a mask, using SafeEntry, carrying the TraceTogether token and simply keeping a safe distance where possible. It is not easy and we still have a long way to overcome COVID-19, both as a public health crisis and as an economic crisis. Let us continue to stay united, keeping each other safe and sane as we transit together to a new normal. Mr Speaker, I support the Ministerial Statement.”
“I also urge MOM to conduct a yearly survey on workplace mental health. This will allow us to track how well our workers are faring mentally, what are the best practices among our companies and guide our collective efforts to provide better workplace mental health support. I hope that tackling workplace burnout will be a key priority in the newly announced COVID-19 Mental Wellness Taskforce. After all, a mentally resilient workforce leads to a safer work environment for all. Mr Speaker, as we gradually move towards Phase 3 of our safe recovery, we need to pay special attention to workplace safety. The latest Workplace Safety and Health or WSH report published by MOM found that workplace accidents and injuries fell for the first half of this year. This is not unexpected in view of the suspension of most work activities due to the circuit breaker measures. The number of workplace fatalities had, however, remained similar to the first half of 2019. As more workers return to their workplaces, there is a need to ease them back gradually into their jobs, as many have not returned to their worksites for months. It is imperative that companies implement a structured re-orientation programme for workers returning to work, especially in high-risk worksites. Companies should also conduct refresher WSH courses for all returning workers so that safety remains at the top of everyone's minds. Experiences from other countries have shown that workplaces have the potential to become super-spreader events. A factory in Sri Lanka where over 1,000 workers caught COVID-19, a five-star hotel in Hong Kong and even the White House are just some of the recent high profile cases of the coronavirus spreading unabated at the workplace.”
“Even the Germans – who according to a survey, work on average five hours more than their contractual hours each week – they too understand the need for clearly defined periods of rest so that they can be more productive the next day. The Germans have a concept called “Feierabend”, which describes the time after their work day ends and when their rest time begins. Our German friends understand that they need to have dedicated time outside of work to rest properly in order to have the energy to work hard and be productive again the next day. For those who remain unconvinced, let me share the experience of Rebecca Wong, a Singaporean currently working in France, who wrote to me last month. She shared that when emails are sent outside of office hours in France, it is usually accompanied with a disclaimer to state that no immediate response is expected. Alternatively, they can use technology to schedule their non-critical emails to be sent out only at 8 am the next working day. These are certainly not radical practices, but baby steps which we can easily adopt here in Singapore. But I do agree with Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamed that we should study in greater detail how a Right to Disconnect legislation could be implemented in Singapore. But in the meantime, I hope that the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health – which the Senior Minister of State had assured last week would be published soon – will include aspects of the Right to Disconnect. With clearer guidelines, our unions can start a conversation with employers on the protocol to answer non-critical work calls and emails outside of working hours, as well as the provision of appropriate help for those facing workplace burnout, while keeping their identities confidential.”
“This was to ensure that we were sufficiently well rested, even while we are always on standby. On the criticism that a Right to Disconnect would erode our competitiveness and productivity, research provides evidence to the contrary. According to a 2014 study by Prof John Pencavel from the Stanford University, overworking beyond 55 hours per week causes a sharp decline in productivity per hour. He also observed that overwork led to increased workplace accidents and injuries. The professor's findings are not unique, and other researchers have also found that well-rested employees are more productive, more careful and are better able to contribute creatively at the workplace. There were also some who were concerned that a Right to Disconnect would disadvantage them as they felt that bosses tended to favour those who worked longer hours. This is fundamentally an issue of presenteeism at the workplace, which a growing body of research has found to be detrimental to a company’s performance. According to a study by the Global Corporate Challenge, presenteeism reduces productivity and many employers have been moving away from using time spent at the office as a proxy for good performance. Staff’s performance should be measured by the outcomes achieved against clear goals set, not by the extended hours spent. Mr Speaker, in simple terms, what I am calling for is that we help our employees carve out protected time for them to rest and recharge. In France, the Right to Disconnect legislation makes it mandatory for employers and employees to negotiate on the protocol for non-emergency calls and non-critical emails outside of working hours. Disconnecting is all about creating protected time to rest and recharge – not unlike what MOE does for its teachers during the school holidays.”
“Mr Speaker, these criticisms, while seemingly valid, show that many people do not quite understand the exact scope of a Right to Disconnect legislation. Let me reassure critics that I am not calling for rigid laws that specify working hours, nor am I calling for Singaporeans to be less productive and, certainly, not for Singapore to be any less competitive! It is simply about ensuring that our workers have protected time to rest. But I can see why some have this misconception about rigid working hours. In France, where this was pioneered, their labour laws were modified in the year 2000 to specify that the length of their work week was 35 hours, exceeding which, overtime had to be paid. When the country implemented its Right to Disconnect legislation in 2017, that is, 17 years later, people got confused between the scope of these two separate pieces of legislation and mistakenly thought that it was forbidden to send work emails outside of 6.00 pm. But the reality is that many French workers still choose to work beyond their official work hours and get paid overtime. The difference is that they now have to respect their colleagues’ personal time and cannot expect them to work past official hours for non-urgent, non-critical tasks that can be completed the next working day. For those worrying about the delivery of our essential services, our frontline officers have actually been practising protected time for years. When I was with the Police Force, my officers and I would be on call 24/7. We would receive phone alerts on incidents happening throughout the day. But between the “silent hours” of midnight to around 7 am, these alerts were restricted only to a specific list of critical, sensitive cases.”
“The Multi-Ministry Taskforce recently announced that more employees will be allowed to return to the workplace and that the Government is working on a roadmap towards Phase 3 of the safe reopening of our economy. Working from home will, however, continue to remain as the default. In recent Parliamentary sittings, I have repeatedly highlighted the challenges faced by our workers who telecommute. They must juggle multiple responsibilities, such as looking after children, taking care of elderly parents and trying to remain productive at work. To make matters worse, because they work from home, their bosses think that it is easier for them to answer work-related calls and emails at any time of the day, even after office hours. Workplace burnout has become an issue, as many employees are not well-rested. To help workers cope with workplace burnout, I recently asked in this House whether it was timely for us to consider a “Right to Disconnect” legislation. Since then, Singaporeans have written to me to share their thoughts and personal experiences, support as well as criticism. Let me first address the criticisms that I have received and explain how I think the Right to Disconnect can be applied to our local context. The three most common criticisms against having a Right to Disconnect in Singapore are: One, it would be too rigid to legislate work hours, as every sector is different, and doing so would not be feasible for those working in essential services. Two, productivity would drop if workers are not allowed to work outside of their specified hours and it would erode Singapore’s competitiveness as a global hub. Three, colleagues who work longer hours would obtain better appraisals from their supervisors because this is, after all, a “dog-eat-dog” world.”
“Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Ministerial Statement made by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, which provides a clear path forward for our nation to reopen our economy safely and emerge stronger from this crisis. Since the Deputy Prime Minister first presented the latest set of relief measures on 17 August, Singapore’s employment landscape has experienced another sharp contraction. According to the latest labour market report published by MOM, more than 11,000 jobs were made redundant in the first half of 2020. This figure does not include the large-scale layoffs recently announced by Resorts World Sentosa and Singapore Airlines, and we can expect that retrenchment and unemployment numbers will continue to rise in the second half of the year. While the figures from MOM’s labour market report are concerning, the reality is that retrenchments could have been a lot worse, if not for the swift and decisive measures put in place by the Government. Many companies have told me that initiatives, such JSS, have been instrumental in helping them to retain their workers while they work on adjusting to the new normal. I am, therefore, heartened that the Government will continue to provide tiered wage support to sectors that are hardest hit by this pandemic. Mr Speaker, beyond job preservation, we also need to provide better mental health support for our workers. In his recent address to the World Health Organisation, Prime Minister Lee acknowledged the impact that COVID-19 has had on the mental health of our population and that protecting mental health takes a collective effort. I fully agree.”